Tooth brush



Sept. 7, 1965 E. G. BAKER 3,204,275

TOOTH BRUSH Filed Nov. 22, 1961 I N VEN TOR. ERrvEsr G. BAKER 91. yaw,

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,204,27'5 TOOTH BRUSH Ernest G. Baker, 288 Ewing Terrace, San Francisco 8, Calif. Filed Nov. 22, 1961, Ser. No. 154,229 '5 Claims. (CL 15- 172) The invention relates to a unitary tooth brush assembly which is particularly arranged and adapted for its cleaning application between and about jaw-carried teeth while massaging the engaged gum portions.

In the brushing of jaw-carried teeth, it is frequently difiicult to effect a truly efficient brushing contact with the tooth and gum surfaces, and particularly those surfaces between adjacent teeth, by the use of usual tooth brushes now available. Accordingly, a general object is to provide and so mount a tooth-brush bristle head that it is most efficiently applicable against and between adjacent teeth in an opened mouth.

Another object is to provide a tooth brush having a rotatively adjustable bristle head which is arranged for a trimming of its bristles to provide a most efficiently shaped working surface for use at teeth and gums to be engaged by it.

A further object is to so mount a present brush head on a positioning handle therefor that the head is operably adjustable with respect to the handle for a most efficient working application of the head bristles through the opened mouth.

An added object is to provide an adjustable tooth brush structure having a bristle head unit which comprises a disposable unit for its replacement.

Yet another object is to so connect a present bristle head with a positioning handle therefor that a working face of the bristle head may have any required angular relation to the mounting handle.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth or be apparent in the following description of typical embodiments thereof, and in the accompanying drawings, in which,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a present tooth brush unit as having a bristle head thereof operatively applied through a line of teeth.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view showing adjustably relatable handle and head block elements of the tooth brush as mutually separated.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged section taken at the line 3-3 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a section at the line 44 in FIGURE 1, but showing a differently shaped bristle head.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary and partly sectional view taken from the line 5-5 in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view similar to that of FIG- URE 3, but indicating a different manner of securing the stem of a bristle head of yet another form to a headcarrying block.

Essentially, a present tooth brush unit comprises a bristle head unit 7 comprising an assembly 8 of bristles 8' extending radially from a common hub 8" which is unitarily mounted at one end of a head-mounting stem 9 extending fixedly and axially from a generally spoolshaped block member 11 carried by a handle member 12 for its rotative adjustments about the axis of its cylinder. A present bristle head 7 has been produced by utilizing an appropriate number of nylon, or the like, bristles 8' of substantially like length, engaging the bristles intermediately and in an originally flat array thereof between the closely adjacent and originally straight opposed strands or side portions 13 and from the closed end of a returnbend provided in a length of suitably pliable wire, and

3,204,275 Patented Sept. 7, 1965 then tightly and spirally twisting said strands together for their entire lengths to provide the hub portion 8" within a bristle head assembly 7 in which the individual bristles are clampedly and intermediately fixed by and between the turns of the strands 13. With a bristle head so provided, the exterior of the relatively small eye-like return-bend 15 connecting the wire strands 13 is understood to provide a protective guard at the free end of the formed head while a twisted wire portion extending from the other end of the bristle assembly provides the mounting stem or shank 9 for the head. Understanding that a generally cylindrical bristle head assembly 7 initially provided in the described, or another, manner may have a more-or-less peripherally true cylindrical outline, with the gripped bristles extending in spiral alignment from between the wire turns providing the hub portion thereat, the bristles of the formed assembly may thereafter be variously trimmed to provide different working faces, as is exemplified in FIGURES 1 and 4 and 6.

By particular reference to the exteriorly cylindrical brush-block member 11, it will now be noted that this member is provided with a bore 16 extending between its ends and arranged for the fixedly secured engagement therein of the head stem 9 provided by coterminous end portions of the stem strands 13. As particularly shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 and 6, one end of the bore 16 of the brush block 11 is provided with a conical counterbore portion 16' whereby, after the terminal portion of a stem 9 has been inserted through the bore 16 from the other end thereof, terminal strand portions 13' of a stem 9 may be angularly spread by a suitable means to engage the side of the counterbore 16' to then normally prevent a withdrawal of the expanded end portion of the inserted stem through and from within the bore. A means is provided for the necessary non-rotative fixing of the stem 9 in the bore 16, one such means being disclosed and shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 and comprising the provision of a laterally expanded intermediate stem portion 9 which is operative agains the block member 11 at the opposite end of the bore 16 from the counterbore 16' for a gripping of the member 11 axially thereof by and between the spread strand ends 13 and the expanded stem portion 9'.

Having a bristle head unit 7 with the stem portion 9 thereof in its initially formed condition, the stem is insertable through the bore 16 for a subsequent spreading of strand ends 13' opposite the face of the counterbore 16, and a subsequent provision of the expanded stem portion 9' against the block member at the other end of the bore, which might be counterbored thereat for engagement by the stem portion 9 while the mutually spread strand ends 13' forcibly engage the tapered face of the counterbore 16'; the expanded stem portion 9' may be readily provided by applying a withdrawable in between the strands 13 at an appropriate point of the stem as the stem is formed by twisting or may be provided by the subsequent application of the point of a punch between the strands after the stem has been formed. The pliability of the strand material is preferably such that the stem portions at the strand ends 13 may be wedgedly restored, by reason of their engagement with the tapered counterbore face, to their original mutually undefiected relation in the lines of the strands by and during a forcible pulling extraction of the stem from within the bore 16 when a bristle head is to be detached from a block 11 for its replacement.

Alternatively, and having a previously described brushblock member 11 provided with a stem-mounting bore 16, and having the counterbore 16' at one end engaged by the mutually spread strand ends 13' of the stem 9 of a bristle head unit 7 as originally provided, the stem 9 may be otherwise fixed to the member 11, as by an appropriate application of a suitable soldering or welding or gluing material. As indicated in FIGURE 6, securing jointures 18 and 19 between a stem 9 and the member 11 are respectively provided at the strand ends 13 in the counterbore 16' and adjacent the other bore end at,which the present stem is unexpanded. If the material used in providing the jointures 18 and 19 is fusible at a relatively low temperature or is otherwise removable whereby the jointures' 18 and 19 are adaptedto be readily eliminated, bristle head units 7 may then comprise disposable and replaceable articles of manufacture per se, and the selective use of different bristle head units 7 with the same block and handle combination is possible.- On the other hand, if a release of the connections at the jointures is impracticable, assemblies 7-11, comprising mutually attached bristle-head units 7 and brush blocks 11, may be provided as disposable manufactured units.

By particular reference to the form of the exteriorly cylindrical block member 11 providing the coaxial bore 16 for use in connecting the stem 9 of a bristle brush unit 7 to the member, it will now be noted that this member of generally spool-like form has annular end portions 21 extending integrally and radially as flanges from a smaller central portion 22 providing therbore 16 and peripherally cooperative with the portions 21 to define a groove 23 between opposed and mutually parallel fiat annular side faces 24 extending perpendicularly of and coaxial with the bore 16. The part ofthe portion 22 of the block member 11 which defines the bottom 25 013 the groove 23 is of regular polygonal form peripherally thereof whereby it provides a series of flat coterminous faces 26 of like out,- line around it for cooperative use with the mounting handle 12 for permitting and releasably maintaining different rotative adjustmentsof the block with respect to the handle. While the periphery of the groove bottom 25 is shown as hexagonal, it will be understood that it might have a regular polygonal form providing a fewer or larger number of flat faces 24 of like length circumferentially' of it.

It will now be noted that one end of the handle member Cit 12 mounts the brush-block member 11 for set rotative adjustments of the block about the axis of its bore 16 by a connecting means selectively utilizing a flat face 26 of the groove bottom. Essentially, the handle member 12 comprises an elongated body 32 having a head-mounting forward end portion thereof engaged in the headblock groove 23 and bifurcated to provide jaw portions 33 and 34 for resiliently and yieldingly gripping the block portion 22 between them for a rotative adjustment of the block about its axis in the handle portion engaging it. As shown, the forward portion of the handle body has a uniform thickness and is provided with a notch 35 extending from its forward-end and defined by and between opposed coplanar jaw portions 33' and 34' arranged to grippingly engage and retain the block portion 22 for its turning, preferably between a straight edge face portion of the jaw 33' and an opposed cylindrically curved edge face portion of the jaw 34'.

Rearwardy of the end notch 35 of the handle body 32, the jaws 33 and 34 are mutually spaced at opposite sides of a slot or kerf 36 extending from the notch and having one side thereof comprising a continuation of the straight edge face portion of the jaw 33'. The material of the handle 12 has an appropriate resiliency such that a required angular separation of the jaws 33' and 34 with respect to the slot 36 is permitted while it is resiliently and constantly resisted during an adjusting turning of the block between the jaws to selectively dispose and retain a face 26 thereof flat against the opposed edge face portion of 'the jaw 33in any one of the adjustably set block positions permitted in accordance with the number of faces provided by the block portion 22 at the groove bottom.

Understanding that the outer ends of the bristle assembly 8 of a bristle-head unit 7 as initially provided in the previously described manner would seldom define a usable working face peripherally thereof, the bristles 8 of a brush head so formed would be trimmed before use to provide a desired working face (or faces) about the head. Thus, FIGURE ,1 illustrates a bristle assembly 8 which has been trimmed to have the working faces thereof comprise the side faces of a generally preferred bristle head of triangular prism form about the bristle-mounting hub 8", FIGURE 4 illustrates a bristle assembly 8 which is of symmetrical frusto-conical outline having its smaller end toward the stem portions 9 of the bristle assembly, and FIGURE 6 discloses a bristle assembly 8 which is of uniform cylindrical cross-section therealong. Also, the stem portion 9 of a bristle head unit 7 may be bent as in FIGURE 1 rather than be straight as in FIGURE 4, and/or the'hub portion of the wire 14 within the bristle assembly 8 may be laterally bent to arcuate form as in FIGURE 6 to provide a longitudinally curved bristle assembly 8. In practice, it has been found that a triangular prism form of the bristle assembly 8 such as that shown in FIGURE 1 is generally preferable as being of particular value in assuring a working application of a maximum number ofthe brush hand bristle in the generally triangular space defined between adjacent teeth and the gums from which they extend for simultaneously brushing the tooth surfaces and gum portions at and adjecent said space by reason of an appropriately directed longitudinal working reciprocation of the bristle assembly with respect to the teeth and gums. While such is not shown, the axis of the stem-receiving bore 16 of the head block 11 may be angularly related to the axis of the block cylinder whereby the extending portion of the inserted stem 9 may be directed angularly from the block end thereat at a'most frequently useful angle for the stern thereat.

Understanding that a present brush may be operatively applied by a dentist or another, 'or by persons brushing their own teeth, and recalling that working on or between different teeth in a mouth with the brush handle applied between the lips of the more-or-less opened mouth requires diflerent relations of the bristle assembly to the handle, the adjustments made possible by appropriately bending the stern and/or hub portions of the pliable mounting wire, taken with any special directing of the bristles and any needed rotary adjustments of the head block in the handle, may provide for the best possible working relation of the applied bristles to the teeth in a particular month. Since the brushing of teeth in the mouth is effected for cleaning the engaged tooth surfaces while removing food from between adjacent teeth and massaging the gums from which the teeth extend, it is to be particularly noted that the use of a present brush unit is arranged, by reason of the various adjustments permitted and provided for, to assure the best possible application of a bristle head provided by a present unitary tooth brush' assembly.

the following claims:

I claim:

1. In an adjustable tooth brush, a brush head unit comprising an elongated unitary assembly of bristles radiating fixedly from a common axis to provide the brush head and directly carried by a stem extending longitudinally 'of and from the bristle assembly to a terminal stem portion,

an elongated handle member, a head-block member, means non-rotatively mounting the head-block member on said terminal stem portion, means mounting the headblock member on said handle member for its variably set rotative adjustment about an axis perpendicular to the line of the handle thereat, and means fixedly securing the terminal portion of said stem to said head block member in line With the axis of rotation thereof.

2. In an adjustable tooth brush, a brush-head unit comprising an elongated assembly of bristles radiating from an elongated mounting hub and fixedly carried at one end of a stem member extending from said hub longitudinally of the brush head, said hub and stem being of pliable material for their variable shaping laterally thereof, a head-block member, an elongated handle member, means fixedly mounting the head-block member on the extending portion of the stem in longitudinally spaced relation to the brush head, and means mounting the headblock member on said handle member for its rotative adjustment about an axis radial to the line of the handle thereat.

3. In an adjustable tooth brush, a brush head unit comprising an elongated assembly of bristles radiating fixedly from a mounting hub to provide a brush head and directly carried by a stem extending from said hub longitudinally of the brush head to a terminal stem portion, an elongated handle member, a head-block member, means mounting the head-block member on said handle member for its rotative and set adjustment about an axis radial to the line of the handle member thereat, and

'means fixedly and releasably securing said terminal stem portion to said head block member to provide a replacement of the brush-head unit with respect to a head-block member.

4. In an adjustable tooth brush, a brush head unit comprising an elongated bristle head fixedly carried at one end of a stem extending longitudinally of and from the brush head, a head-block member providing a bore fixedly receiving the stem of the brush-head unit and providing an annular peripheral groove coaxial with said bore and having its bottom of regular polygonal form peripherally thereof, and a handle member comprising a flat bifurcated head part of resilient material providing opposed and mutually coplanar jaw portions for their cooperative engagement in the head-block groove for resiliently and yieldingly gripping the block portion at the groove bottom to provide for a rotative adjustment of the handle-mounted block about the axis of its bore in different set relations to the handle.

5. In an adjustable tooth brush, a brush-head unit comprising an elongated brush head of polygonal transverse cross-section having bristles radiating from an elongated mounting hub and fixedly carried at one end of a stem member extending from said hub longitudinally of the brush head, said hub and stem being of pliable material for their variable shaping laterally thereof, a head-block member, an elongated handle member, means fixedly mounting the head-block member on the extending portion of the stem in longitudinally spaced relation to the brush head, and means mounting the head-block member on said handle member for its rotative adjustment about an axis radial to the line of the handle thereat to facilitate the longitudinal application of the brush head transversely of and between adjacent teeth of a jaw-mounted line thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,342,833 2/44 Borgeat 15-167 CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN AN ADJUSTABLE TOOTH BRUSH, A BRUSH HEAD UNIT COMPRISING AN ELONGATED UNITARY ASSEMBLY OF BRISTLES RADIATING FIXEDLY FROM A COMMON AXIS TO PROVIDE THE BRUSH HEAD AND DIRECTLY CARRIED BY A STEM EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF AND FROM THE BRISTLE ASSEMBLY TO A TERMINAL STEM PORTION, AN ELONGATED HANDLE MEMBER, A HEAD-BLOCK MEMBER, MEANS NON-ROTATIVELY MOUNTING THE HEAD-BLOCK MEMBER ON SAID TERMINAL STEM PORTION, MEANS MOUNTING THE HEADBLOCK MEMBER ON SAID HANDLE MEMBER FOR ITS VARIABLY SET ROTATIVE ADJUSTMENT ABOUT AN AXIS PERPENDICULAR TO THE LINE OF THE HANDLE THEREAT, AND MEANS FIXEDLY SECURING THE TERNIAL PORTIN OF SAID STEM TO SAID HEAD BLOCK MEMBER IN LINE WITH THE AXIS OF ROTATION THEREOF. 